New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, our nation's newest National Park! The park was actually established in 1978 as a national river, and redesignated in 2020 as New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. That makes 63 National Parks that we now have in the United States, and I can proudly say that I have been to all 63 of them! On this last trip, I drove my sons truck from Virginia to Southern California, and took a side trip in the truck to visit New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The campgrounds at the Park are all primitive, free and beautiful, and yes that would be my campsite in Meadow Creek.

The New River runs right through the campground and here, it is quiet and lazy, a perfect picture of serenity. The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve protects and maintains over 70,000 acres of the New River Gorge in the Appalachian Mountains of southern West Virginia That makes me happy. 

Wanting to explore, I drove around and scouted out the sights. It was cloudy and threatening rain, but while I camped there it was mostly dry. Even though it hadn't rained, my tent was soaked from the morning dew, and had to dry out for a day before I used it again.

One of the nicest places I found was Sandstone Falls, which was not far from the campground. It was beautiful, with hiking trails all around the area, cascading waterfalls, trees and clouds.

This fruit tree was hanging over the river. I am not sure what it was, maybe peach or apple. 

From one viewpoint, the falls were surrounded in green foliage. So pretty!

Along the trails I took this photo, and as you can see it was getting late and clouds were abundant.

I liked the boardwalks and overlooks that were built to view the river. 

The reflections in the water always catch my eye, that and the driftwood stuck in the falls.

I had a long rode ahead of me, and the visit to this beautiful gorge gave me the strength to carry on. It was a total of nearly 3000 miles that I drove on that crazy trip.

The following day I drove up to the opposite end of the park to see the New River Gorge Bridge. At the visitor center I took these stairs, over 200 of them, yes I counted, down to the view point.

It was very early in the morning when I arrived at the viewpoint. No one else was around. Wispy fog encircled the bridge. It was amazing. 

The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel arch bridge, 3030 feet long, over the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, West Virginia in the Appalachian Mountains. Quite impressive to see it in person. From the viewpoint I was able to see the train running along the river, and was reminded of the song, "Riding on that New River Train, riding on that New River Train, same old train that brought me here is gonna carry me away again."

After I packed up and left the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, I passed through a small town, got out and took some pictures. I cannot remember the name of this town, and if anyone recognizes it, please email me! Back in the car I headed toward Clarksville, Tennessee. 

After a nice visit with my friend Don Jarrell and family, I drove through several more states until reaching the McClellan Creek National Grassland in Texas. The water was all dried up and yet the landscape was just beautiful. However there were a lot of stickers there and I had to move my campsite several times to get away from them. 

By the time I resettled, the sun was setting and I noticed the unearthly sounds of thousands of cicadas, all making noise. The sound would ebb and flow like the tide, and it made me feel like I was on another planet!

Come morning, I packed up again and headed into New Mexico. That is when it really rained hard. It rained so hard that I thought it was going to crack the windshield! I just slowed down and said my prayers, trusting that I would make it through.

It finally stopped raining long enough to get out and look around. Near the railroad tracks I found some old rusty railroad spikes. It was cool. Just as I turned around and headed back to my car, the train came chugging by, fast as can be. 

As the sun started going down, the sky began swirling with color, orange, red, purple, yellow. A glorious sunset indeed. Time to look for a place to sleep. 

The next morning, I drove through Ludlow California and stopped for gas. I nearly died to see that it was $7.49 a gallon! I declined to fill up, and instead wandered in the back, looking at the sand and rocks.  When I turned around to head back to my car, 3 mules were staring at me. I think they were mules, but I am a city girl and could be wrong. And with that I said goodbye to the mules and kept on driving until I reached my home in southern Cali. O happy day! It is getting late and I must go. May God bless you and yours, and keep you safe this night and many more to come.  Adios! Susan Little

Zion National Park, Utah

Last month I ended my southwest extravaganza by visiting Zion National Park in Utah. Just before reaching the Park, I passed through Red Canyon and was able to watch the sun rising. It was perfect.

As soon as I entered the Park, all the "too good to be true" vibes from Zion hit me. Wow I was here!

I drove in through the east entrance, and was immediately drawn into the sights, sounds and colors of Zion, my home away from home. If you are interested, here is the NPS website for Zion National Park, with all of the much needed information for visiting this gorgeous place.

Its so pretty to see the green pines mixed in with the red and white sandstone. In the fall you have the added beauty of the leaves changing color; a most spectacular sight.

I stopped all along the road to take picures, talk to people and admire the scenery. But it was hot!

How lovely the mountains in Zion are, so strong and majestic.

That would be me, shooting a selfie while climbing around on the rocks.

Each hour got hotter and hotter. Determined to cool down, I headed for the river.

One of my old swimming holes, from back in the day when I worked in Zion. Once a co-worker and I were lounging around in the water here, when one of the male waiters showed up and wanted to show off. He took off his shirt and dove into the water, without even checking it out first. He came up groaning and holding his arm, which ended up being broken. He tried to hide it from his boss, but how can you hide a broken arm when you are waiting tables? Obviously you can't as he soon discovered. 

I hopped onboard the shuttle, as you can't drive past the turnoff to the lodge unless you are registered there. At the lodge I jumped out, and wishing to avoid the crowds, I walked across the street to the river and started wading downstream.

The water was ice cold, but that didn't stop me from taking the plunge.

It felt so good to escape the heat and submerse my body in the refreshing water.

An old gnarled tree stood on the riverside, a witness the passage of time here in the canyon.

After swimming a bit, more people jumped in and had the time of their lives. On my way out, I crossed the bridge and snapped this picture of a young couple that had befriended me. As soon as I took the picture, my plastic spray bottle fell out of my backpack and landed in the river, never to be seen again.

At that point, I decided to cancel my camping reservations in Zion National Park for the following week, and instead headed home.  The 105 degree heat was proving too much for me.  May God bless you and keep you safe and secure. May you get out into the natural world and see the things He has created. May you know and partake of His great love and mercy. Blessings! Susan Little

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Last month I took a massive southwest camping trip, which towards the end included Bryce Canyon National Park. Several years ago I worked in Zion for 6 months and visited Bryce on two separate occasions. It's so much nicer to take a chunk of time and camp within the park, where you can really get to see the beauty up close and personal.

Clouds forming over Bryce Canyon.....phenomenal!

Right near my campground I took a hike on the Navajo Loop Trail which is near Sunset Point. The tall hoodoo in the center is called Thors Hammer and is probably the best known hoodoo in the park. Hoodoos are strange formations composed of sandstone and siltstone which have been eroded over time by the elements. 

On the Navaho Loop trail I also saw many downed trees, sculpted so beautifully by wind and rain. 

At Inspiration Point I followed the trail all the way up to the top. It felt like I was on top of the world looking down at beautiful orange, red, and yellow ocher colored castles. 

That would be me posing for a selfie at Inspiration Point.

This spot in particular struck me as the most beautiful place in the Park. However each and every spot was beautiful in its own way!

At one point I stopped at a place that had recently been ravaged by fire. Dead trees covered the landscape. In the midst of it all this prickly thistle was blooming. "Life will find a way." Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblums) in Jurrasic World.  

At Bryce Pt. I loved to watch the ravens flying over the canyon. It is such a magnificent sight, similar to the condors at the Grand Canyon.

Ravens have always intrigued me, not crows, but ravens like the one above in the picture. Ravens are bigger than crows, and are more the size of a red-tailed hawk. They have larger beaks and often travel in pairs, while crows can be found in larger groups. Both crows and ravens are smart, but ravens are considered one of the most intelligent animals on earth! 

This stunning formation is called Natural Bridge, and it is here at this spot where I made the acquaintance of the black raven above. 

At the end of the Park road I came upon Rainbow Point. The contrast between the two formations and the dark green pines is an artists dream.

I scouted around Rainbow Point and found the Bristlecone Loop Trail. Just as I started down the trail,  it started to sprinkle but it wasn't a problem and was quite refreshing considering how hot it was! Bristlecone Pine trees are one of the oldest living organisms on earth. They are also extremely resilient to harsh weather and bad soils which helps prolong their lives!

The last place I hiked in Bryce was at Fairyland Canyon, with an elevation of 7758 ft. 

The heat and the elevation were beginning to get to me, so I decided I had enough of Bryce and packed up my gear and headed down to Zion National Park. Life is good when I am on the road, even when it is challenging, it is good. Blessings to one and all! Susan Little

Grand Staircase Escalante, Utah

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is a unique, often overlooked treasure located in southern Utah.

I passed by the monument on my way from Arches National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park. It was early in the morning and the lighting was majestic.

The National Monument now spans across nearly 1.87 million acres of America's public lands in southern Utah! That's a big place, however I only saw a fraction of its beauty.

While out exploring, I pulled over and got out of my car and actually walked down these sandstone hills. I felt like a fly as the sandstone is not slippery and easy to walk across.

 I camped for 3 nights at Calf Creek Falls which lies within the monument. Yes it was hot, but every where I went in Utah was hot!  The creek ran right by my campsite, and when I got too hot, I set up my chair in the creek, grabbed some iced tea and just relaxed.

In spite of the heat, the highlight of my time there was the 6 mile hike up to Calf Creek Falls. It was very early when I started the hike, but I am a slow hiker and soon people were passing me by on the trail. Everyone was very friendly and stopped to talk with me.

Right about here I got really tired and stopped to catch a breath of hot, dry air. The red and white sandstone is stunning, and has been shaped through erosion to form patterns in the hills.

As I trudged up the trail, I lifted my head just in time to see the sunlight illuminating this tree.

The Ancestral Puebloans and the Fremont Indians lived here and farmed this land. Pictographs and granaries are seen from the trail, the evidence of a people long gone.

I love flowers, and this cactus flower caught my eye.

Desert varnish, a result of rainwater combining with iron and manganese, streaks the sides of the cliffs all throughout the canyon.

At last I reached lower Calf Creek Falls, a 126 foot waterfall, that cascades down the cliff into a pool of ice cold water. I tried to jump in and swim but it was just too cold. Instead,  I dunked my head underwater and got my arms and legs wet to relieve my heat exhaustion.

So magnificent! 

After the hike I was sitting on my chair in the creek when these 4 boys came charging up the creek, the next generation of river rats flaunting their machismo. 

The campsite at Calf Creek Falls is first come, first served, no reservations. Good and bad. Good that I can usually get a site, bad if I don't. This is my campsite, the only one in the campground with a shade shelter. It was wonderful.

Good night to all, and may you find peace with God and with your fellow campers.